Would You Buy a Microwave That Counted the Calories in Your Meal?

Someone is really making one.

GettyBaris Simsek

By
Elizabeth Narins

Jul 09, 2014

You probably use a microwave to revive Chinese leftovers or whip up random late-night snacks. (Bagel Bites, any one?)

But the geniuses over at General Electric are in the early stages of developing technology for a microwave that can do even more: instantly calculate the number of calories on your plate (or bowl, at this point, since the prototype only works on blended foods like soups and smoothies), according to MIT Technology Review.

The calorimeter simultaneously weighs your food and penetrates it with low-energy microwaves, which behave in different ways when they pass through different nutrients. Then, it monitors these changes to assess your food's nutritional components and estimates the number of calories therein. The whole process only takes a second or two, and the initial tests were pretty accurate.

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If all goes according to plan, the developers will roll out a version that can scan an actual meal and send the calorie count straight to your smartphone. Eventually, they hope to incorporate the technology into a microwave oven or another kitchen appliance so you can size up your food as you prep it.

That said, there's no word on whether and when this could hit the mass market — so don't get too excited. Especially since stressing over calories can seriously suck the pleasure out of eating, anyway.